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65
instructed to inform you that His Excellency cannot approve
of this course of proceeding tO\·zards a prisoner of the Crown .
As Hithout his rations for so long a period , a convict on loan
could not have supported his family in a correct manner if the
established regulations had been duly enforced by you .
His Excellency therefore directs that Arnott be withdrawn from
your service and in informing you that the proceedings in this
case were very irregular , I am to request that the instructions
respecting assigned servants or prisoners on loan shall
henceforth be strictly complied Nith . 24
As Hall 's reputation with the Government was now in jeopardy, the Cockeri ll
Affair was a very serious matter .
Franklin, however , though concerned for the welfare of assigned
servants , did not wish to interfere in the internal management of any
society .
He therefore firmly declined to give his opinion as to wh ether
Emancipists should be elected memb ers of the Bothwell Literary Society
\'/hen asked to do so by Wigmore several days before the meeting , a fact
which was not discovered until some time later by members .
In complete
ignorance of Wigmore 's attempt to surprise them by an "official verdict",
nineteen out of the twenty-five memb ers of the Society were present at the
adj ourned meeting held under Clarke 's chairmanship .
After the reading
of the minutes of the last meeting , Hall immediately explained what had
happened and strongly criticised the exclusion of Emancipists .
In spite
of frequent disorderly interrupt ion , no one was prepared to combat his
arguments .
At its conclusion, the Librarian , feeling his position
untenab le, resigned and left the meeting . Schaw did not attend . With
Cockerill reelected the large crowd felt that justice and freedom had
triumphed .
Hall was unanimous ly elected Librarian and with Garrett and
Wigmore \.;as appointed to a committee to revise the laws of the Society .
The Cockerill Affair created quite a stir, not only in Bothwell,
but in other part s of the colony as well.
From an editorial in the
Colonial Times on Septemb er 21, 1841, it appeared that th is attack on an
Emancipist \'las one of many fostered by some sections of the press and
occurring at that time , possib ly sparked off , as was suggested earlier ,
by the Government 's attitude to the employment of Emancipists in the
tedical Department .
The editorial strongly condemned Schaw 's action as
that of a man affected by th e moon , deliberat ely trying to create illfeeling
and disharmony in a small community .
Hall's address was considered
11\'lell \'lorthy of the utmost attention and did credit to his head and heart".
24
c.s.o. 22/1/207 .